Peri - depression & fatigue - how to find out if I'm oestrogen or progesterone dominant?

Hi Colleen, thanks for your response.  It was my GP who increased my anti-d's.  I did ask if I could be referred to the menopause clinic which is run in a hospital about 45 mins away but beacuse I'm not suffering from hot flushes, he didn't seem to think it was worth it.  But like I said, i've been reading up on it (because we have to!), and it says if you've suffered from depression in the past, then you are more likely to get depressed while going through the perimenopause - oh joy.  I don't really want to go on to HRT unless it's essential, but would try the natural progesterone IF I knew that's what I was deficient in.  American sites refere to saliva tests but unless they were done over a month, then you'd surely only get a snapshot of what your hormones were like on one day?  I don't understand why it is such a struggle to find out information.  I really can't take time off work so you would think that they would try to help more.  My colllague looked at me strangely when I asked her how to do something - turns out I'd asked her just a few days ago and she'd went over the process with me!  I guess that's what they describe as foggy brain.....

I've got foggy brain, forgetfuness, and lack ambition as well. You need to see a gyn. My gyn is an endocrinologist too so he prescribed me progesterone

Hi Carol, for foggy brain I took ginkgo biloba, CQ10 and a multivitamin. They really helped in alleviating the foggy brain syndrome.

Hi Woo, thanks for replying.  It's very frustrating as if we knew what we were dominant in, then we would know what to take!  I'd prefer to go the  natural route - so I guess that would be the natural progesterone cream or whatever the oestrogen equivalent is.  I'm scared I'll make thigns worse if I just go ahead and try the pro cream - is that why you're hesitating too?  I have the doc tomorrow, so if I get any useful advice, I'll let you know. 

Great! We're doomed peri, menopausal, and post! God could have divided this up with men

Hi Cynthia, thanks for your post.  My diet has been rubbish recently, it's a vicious circle as I just want to comfort eat because I'm depressed but in turn, that won't help the depression.  

I read on another post that if I do start using progesterone cream I could end up progesterone dominant whcih would bring other problems.  It is all so confusing :-(

  

Hi, Just wanted to say excellent advise especially re. diet, it can make all the difference. 

?Also just wish to add that some of the doctors I have spoken with re. menopause symptoms tell me that hormones really nothing to do with low mood, which beggars belief.  I read of one women who had also suffered depression for much of her adult life and was found to be low in oestrogen. ( I don't know what her diet was like?)

?I think what baffles me is that there are many people who seem to suffer from puberty upwards and hormones are never called into question.  Which I find odd.  re. the diet again, one student in her early twenties was wrongly treated for schizophrenia/symptoms until a nutrionist discovered she had low B3/B2 her diet was poor. Her symptoms vanished when her diet was changed etc.  (confess I read about this case, which really did not surprise me, if honest)

?I just think that the dots are conventiently not joined up...diet/hormones and also this attitude of "your going through the menopause" , it does not affect mood or you're depressed, here take prozac..  enough said.

?Just wanted to have my 2p's worth here. 

?Also to say that saliva testing over course of a month is deemed to be more accurate than a 1 off blood test.  worth investigating?

Something has to change!

?Keep well (from mad meno with bee in her bonnet!)

I wish I had the time ans,energy to prepare healthy foods

well said!  hormones most definitely affect mood and everything else.  Bad diet leads to out of whack hormones and I agree that many teenagers now, suffer from depression due to bad diet, leading to hormone imbalances. Doctors think we are just mad meno women and they should really listen to us, we know what is going on, especially when we reach this stage, we are living it, and have a lot of knowledge to give if they would just listen and not just throw anti-depressants and the like at us.  It is real, not a figment of our imagination.  it would help lots of people of different ages.  

Hi, thanks for your reply. Well I went to the doctor this morning, asked about hormone testing

and came away with (and I'm NOT joking unfortunately) , a printout from this website?! Can

you believe it??

She suggested increasing the Prozac even though I told her the last increase didn't help at all (

(plus I don't like taking them anyway). Useless. She just told me to read up on HRT and decide if I

want to try it - that's soooo helpful - not.

Have you any idea where I could get the month saliva testing done? I'm in the Highlands too

so if you know of somewhere, that would be great.

Thanks,

Carol

Hi Colleen, after the doctor being completely useless today and with all the advice

from you lovely ladies on here, I decided instead of coming home and eating crap ( I'm a sugar

addict), I'd make a proper meal.

That sounds do easy, doesn't it, but I know exactly how you feel. However I've decided

until I have more energy I'm just going to have stir fries!

I bought tuna, pre-prepared stir fry veggies and noodles took 4 mins in boiling water.

I'm going to try chicken, turkey, Quorn, etc. I know it's not ideal but it's better than

munching my way through a packet of chocolate Hob Nobs!

Hi, bad diet seems to be in a lot of replies I received so I'm going to

try really hard to eat better. I've also ordered some supplements and two books from Amazon,

about the peri-menopause.

Sugar is my downfall but I'll use this forum as an incentive to keep going!

Will let you know if I come across anything that helps ??

I know what you mean, but just changing the odd grabbing a snack thing...now I eat some natural yogurt, nuts - cashews great for boosting oestrogen levels, oatcakes and a bit of cheese...plus litte or no alcholol..just a these little changes can help...

?(no more reaching for the biscuit tin).   It's sugar I try and reduce.  Days I get so low, it's easy not to care.   SO yep I'm there too with the apathy thing,  it takes a alot these days to try and keep on track.

?Time is key these days!

Ah sorry to hear about doc's response, I read somewhere I am sure that with hormonal depression then prozac is not the answer, which may well be why you are feeling low.

?There is a well known nutrionist who advertises monthly testing but it's expensive say around £200 or so.  I know we are not allowed to divulge information here...but do have a search.  There are some reputable labs that offer single testing...again not cheap. 

?Sorry not to be more helpful here, but I recommend you find a good nutrionist who can arrange for testing for you.

(Possibly Edinburgh area?)

? I am down in South West England, so I don't know of any up in Scotland).

I wish you well, you're on the right tracks.!

 

Too true!  Well said!

Keep well.

Thanks! I'm not perfect, but I try to eat well the best I can to avoid the big changes.

Hi Carol,

Just a thought, I know from research that hormone testing is not very accurate. I have also discovered from much research that some of the private meno expert's prefer to try you out on HRT and see how you feel. This would be a better indications of whether HRT is suitable for you.

I'm using oestrogel and Utrogestan they are bio identical and made from plants. I knew I felt better within a few weeks.

After reading that some experts do not check hormones I decided why not just try it for 6 months and see and I'm so glad I did.

You know what makes me feel good? Chocolate ice cream with crushed up waffle cone topped with chocolate syrup! It helps during the moment. Better a few min then never

Hi Zigangie, thanks for your reply.  That's interesting that you say some experts tell you to try HRT to see if it works.  How would I know what ratio of pro to oest I should try though?  Or is it just a case of starting with the minimum of each?  How did you decide on the ones you use?  I'm away to Google the names of them now!

Hi cazan, I think you need a prescription to start HRT.

Should the progesterone cream that you can buy online not be used without a doctors consultation first? They seem to suggest that anyone can buy it and use it if experiencing peri meno symptoms?

I wondered that myself

You don't need to see a doctor to buy it and there is plenty of guidance on their website. 

I would start with even smaller dose than suggested. I started the progesterone cream from the store at 20 mg as suggested and woke up both nights with a bad headache. Then I cut it down to using same amount but dividing it up to 3 nights and no headache. Unfortunately had to postpone using it for other health issues became more pressing to address. But I'm planning to restart it next cycle.

Hi Cazan,

Yes I think just try the minimum dose to begin with.

You can increase the estrogen and the utrogestan I take is the same no matter what dose of estrogen is.

It's 200mg a day some say for 14 days but I think the manufacturer recommends 12 days.

Oestrogel and Utrogestan are recommended by one of the UKs top male professors. If I say his name I get moderated I'm afraid.

So I went with his recommendation. It did take me a long time lots of research to arrive at that point.

I would love to be able to afford to see an expert. They all seem to be private and rather expensive though.

They generally also prescribe testosterone for libido.

Hi maisie,

I did think about trying it myself at one point before I went on HRT.

I think it can build up in your system and make things worse in the end.

Most women find to begin with it does help though.

Hi Zig, the oestrogen, and urtogestan. Are those prescribed? Or over the counter creams?

Hi Colleen,

They are prescribed. As far as I am aware you cannot get estrogen unless it is prescribed.